Pixar’s John Lasseter on computer animation technology and his personal stake in “Cars”

John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Emeryville’s Pixar Animation Studios, talks with Chronicle tech reporter Ellen Lee about the latest computer-generated animation technology that is going into the making of Pixar’s next film, “Ratatouille.”

Lasseter also describes his deeply personal inspiration for the film “Cars,” which comes out on DVD next week, and whether Pixar has changed since its merger with the Walt Disney Co.

He also talks about where to find the inside jokes in Cars and details something that has appeared in every Pixar movie.